Ahoy there matey! It's the perfect day for a pirate cupcake tutorial...

So, today is my husband's birthday and in celebration I made him...

"Buried Treasure Chocolate-Covered Strawberry" Cupcakes

And they were delicious! Since they turned out so well I decided to share them with you dear sweet people who care so much about my wonderful husband and myself. So here we go!

"Buried Treasure Chocolate-Covered Strawberry Cupcakes"

1 box chocolate cake mix (prepared as instructed for 24-cupcakes)
2 cups diced strawberries
2 tablespoons white sugar (mix with the strawberries and let sit)
3 squares Chocolate Almond bark (melted in microwave)
Splash of cream or half & half (mix with the melted chocolate bark)
Vanilla-Buttercream frosting
Extra strawberries for decoration

1. Prepare cake mix as instructed for 24-cupcakes. Allow baked cupcakes to cool for 10 minutes in the pan and then put on a wire rack to cool completely. If they aren't totally cool the icing will melt off like on Cupcake Wars... and that team NEVER wins!

2. Once cupcakes are totally cool, cut a cone out of the top. Save this! Fill in the crater with the strawberries and a small amount of juice. This will make your cupcakes very moist.

3. Put a dollop of melted chocolate/cream mixture over the strawberries. Now, take the cone that you have saved and cut the point off so that you can smush it back on top of the strawberries. This is the buried treasure.
4. Top with Vanilla-Buttercream frosting and a fresh strawberry. If you are feeling really fancy, or you have melted chocolate left over, feel free to dip the strawberries or drizzle chocolate over the top!

5. Enjoy with someone that you love!!!

Vanilla-Buttercream frosting

2 sticks salted butter (room temperature)
1/2 package Vanilla instant pudding
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup powdered sugar

1. Cream the room temperature butter together until it is light and fluffy. Approximately 2 minutes.
2. Add 1/2 package of Vanilla instant pudding. If you accidentally add too much just add a splash more cream during the next step. Cream the pudding and butter together for 2 more minutes.
3. Add the heavy cream and mix for approximately 4 minutes. It should be pretty thick at this point.
4. Add the powdered sugar and mix for 4 minutes. This should absorb the moisture and make your frosting light and fluffy.
5. Put in a piping bag or Ziploc (my method since I don't have any piping bags... Christmas idea!!!). Cut a small slit and generously pipe the frosting on top of the cupcakes. Try and cover the edge where you cut the cone.

Hope you enjoy these cupcakes as much as my husband and I did! Tomorrow we are off to the Buffalo river to camp, hike, and maybe canoe... so excited to enjoy this beautiful weather with some good friends! See you next week and I'll tell you wonderful followers all about it!